Buffer mechanism for diaphragm face plates



Aug. 6, 1929. A, E, SMALL BUFFER MECHANISM FOR DIAPHRAGM FACE PLATES Filed Oct. 24, 1927 vendor urEZ Small Mi li J; Qrth Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,723,4 ltl PATENT @FFICE.

ARTHUR E. SllIALL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASElltTrNOlR- f UNION llIfll lAL ."ElEtOlDU'ClS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILL'I'NOIS A COI EtIOItAIIUhT OF DE BUFFER MECHANISM FOR DIAPHRAGM FACE PLATES.

Application filed October 24 1927.

Upper limiter mechanisms are used to lceep the diaphragm face plates ()il'i adjacei'it passenger train cars in contact under all service conditions. The taco plate must be permitted to move long'itudinally, laterally and/or ohlitpiely relative to its normal position on the car. it must be permitted to move laterally ot itseijli (i. e. longitudinally of the car) to accommodate the draft gear n1ovenienti-l and must move longitudinally of itsellf so that when one car swings more than its adjacent car the friction between the taco plates will not tear either of them troni their attachments. Fmthermorc, the tare plate must move obliquely when the cars are moving on a curved track. The lacc plate may, ct couri-ie, make all of these movemei'its eonsecutively or simultaneously.

ll ly invention relates to devices which yieldiugly permit the taco plate to make such. movements and. which have a tendency to return the taco plate to its normal position and which do return it to such normal position when permitted to do so.

An object Oil the invention is to provide such a device which is simple and economic to manutact-are and apply and which can he installed, inspected, repaired or replaced without entering the car or removing; any part tire-cot". not even the diaphragm out its tare plate. Furthermore, the device is noiseless because all the parts are under pressure contact.

in the ilrawings:

Il 1 shows a typical application 0'? my device to a railway car. 7

ll i 2 shows the device in normal position.

liig. 3 shows the device under ll'lttXll'l'lLllll con'ipression. l

l ig. 4t shows the device when the diaphragm face plate has moved laterally ot the car.

Fig. 5 shows the device when the diaphragm face plate l'ias moved obliquely of the car.

Fig. 6 shows a modified construction.

Figs. 7 and 8 show the bracket in. plan and elevation, respectively.

Fig. 9 is a detail of the spring.

Fig. 10 is a modified form of spring.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the con necting member.

Figs. 12 and 13 show a modified form of the connecting member.

The usual parts of a railway passenger Serial 'No. 228.317.

train car are shown, such as the end wall 1, diaphragm 2 and diaphragm face p-ate 3.

The preterred form (it my device comprises a leaf spring 41 (preferably sen'1i-elli1 t-ieal) or other resi lieut incinl 01. secured to the end wall of the car in any ctn'rven'ient manner or place, preterahly adjacent the cente r line ot the ca r. A bracket 5 is secured to the diaphrarpn :liace plate pre'lerahly adjacent the center line ot the car in any convenient nunmer and connecting memhers (3 attach the outer ends respectively ol the spring to the l 'acket. 'lhis connecting niemher is pivotally attached to the spring and also pi votaliy connected to the hracltet to allow tor the various moven'ients of the device in service. I prefer to provide some stop arrangement to limit the amount of n'iovement ot the taco plate toward the car to prevent any at the component parts of the device from heinp; lfifOh'Oll due to excessive compression of the device.

When the diapln'a mi :lace plate moves latorally ot the car, as Sl'lOWll in Fig. t, one portion (7) olf the semi-elliptical sprii'ip; is under bending; stress, while the other portion of the spring' is d"storted.

l l hcn the diapl'iragm face plate moves oh- .liquely relative to the car, as shown in Fig. 5, one portion (9) of the spring is under hending stressr while the other portion (l0) ot the sprine is distorted.

Fig. o shows a modified construction whereby the syn'im i l is made of two quarter elliptic springs instead (it one semi-elliptic spring which may or may not he a incclmnical expeilient.

Figs. 7 and 8 sl'iow details of the bracket which is preferably attached to the face plate to InVOtally connect; the two connecting l hers to the face plate. A. stop it pre. ably cast integral with this bracket to restrict. the movement oil. the face plate toward. the car.

Fig. 9 shows a typical semi-elliptic spring of the preferred. form provided with. a flat portion. 13 'lor attachment to the car wall (or face plate) and with the cylindrical end portions Ltd to provide a pivotal attachment to the connecting member.

Fig. 10 shows a semi-elliptic spring: a with an auxiliary least positioned inside of the main leaf. This auxiliary lea't increases the resistance and resiliency of the spring when one portion of the spring is distorted, as shown at 8 in. Fig. 4;, an d. at 10 in Fig. An

auxiliary leaf 16 may be positioned on the outside of the spring, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to increase the strength and resiliency of the spring when it is under bending stress, as shown in Fig. 3 or at 7 in Fig. at. It may be desirable to use either or both of the auxiliary leaves 15-16. I

Fig. 11 shows a perspective view of the connector 6 with the cylindrical end 17 to accommodate a pin for attachment to the bracket. This construction also has spaced apart jaws 18 at the other end to shroud the end of the spring and provide a pivotal connection therewith.

Figs. 12 and 13 show a modified form of the attachment of the connector to the spring wherein the end 19 of the spring 4- is split to accommodate eye 20 of the connector (5.

Turnbuckles 21 may be provided if dcsired for adjustment of the length of the connecting members 6 to position the diaphragm face plate in the center of the car and to increase or decrease the tension on the s wings.

The spring may be attached to the ca r end wall element, as shown, or to the diaphragm face plate element if desired, and still come within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a railway car comprising an end wall element, a diaphragm face plate element morable longitudinally, laterally and obliquely from its normal position; the combination of a leaf spring having its middle portion at tached to one of said elements, a bracket attached to the other of said elements, and two members, each member having its outer end pivotally connected to the outer end of the leaf spring and with its inner end pivotally connected to the opposite ends respectively of said bracket.

2. In a railway car comprising an end wall element, a diaphragm face plate element movable longitudinally, latcrally and obliquely from its normal position; the combination of a leaf spring having its middle port-ion attached to one of said elements, two members,

each member having its outer end pi votally connected to the outer end of the leaf spring and with its inner end pivotally connected to the other of said elements, and means to restrict the movement of said face plate toward said end wall.

In a railway car comprising, an end wall element and a diaphragm face plate element movable longitudinally, laterally and obliquely from its normal position; the combination of a leaf spring having its middle portion attached to one of said elements, and two members, each member having its outer end pivotally connected to the outer end of the leaf spring and with its inner end. pivotally connected to the other of said elements, one of said members provided. with means to adjust its length.

4:. In a railway tar comprising an end wall and a diaphragm face plate movable longitndinally, laterally and obliquely from its normal position; the combination of a leaf spring having its middle portion attached to said end wall, a bracket attached to said face plate provided with a stop, and two members, each member having its outer end pivotally connected to the outer end of the leaf spring and with its inner end pivotally connected. to said bracket, said step arranged toengagesaid end wall. upon. a predetermined movement of the face plate toward the car.

5. In a railway car comprising an end wall elemen t, and a diaphragm face plate element movable longitudinally, laterally and obliquely from its normal position; the combination of a leaf spring having its middle portion attached to one of said elements adj acent the center line of the car, a bracket attached to the other of said elements adj acent the center line of the car, and two members, each member having its outer end pivotally connected to the outer end of the leaf spring and with its inner end pivotal] y connected to said bracket.

ARTHUR E. SMALL. 

